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Maldivian 25 laari coin
Maldives |image= |caption= Coin from 2008 |value= 0.25 rufiyaa |years= 1960–2008 ( 1379–1433) |mass= *4.1 g (1960-1996) *3.75 g (2008) |diameter= 20.19 mm |thickness= *1.75 mm (1960-1979) *1.85 mm (1984-2008) |composition= *nickel-brass (1960-1996) *brass-plated steel (2008) |shape= round |alignment= medallic |edge= *security edge (1960) *reeded (1960-2008) |obverse= * , and Islamic dates (1960-1979) * and , , Gregorian and Islamic dates (1984-2008) |reverse= *Value, "mint title" (1960-1979) *State title, value (1984-2008) }} The 25 laari coin is a circulation piece that has been issued in various types from 1960 to 2008 by the current Republic of the Maldives and former of the Maldives (both are referred to as the "Maldives Islands" in Krause's Standard Catalog of World Coins). In 1960, during the reign of (1901–1969), the first two 25 laari pieces were produced, differing from each other by their edges. Of these, one was minted again in 1979 before being discontinued. A third type was introduced in 1984 by the Republic of the Maldives, and continued to be intermittently made until 1996; it was replaced by a similar piece that made its debut in 2008. All of the 25 laari coins currently have legal tender face values equivalent to 0.25 rufiyaa on the Maldives. Each of the types was produced at the Royal Mint of the United Kingdom, and all examples coined since 1984 have been distributed by the Maldives Monetary Authority (MMA), the Maldivian central bank. Coins Coins of the Sultanate and first coin of the Republic (1960–1979) The rufiyaa was established as the official currency of the Maldives in 1947, during the regnancy of the late Sultan (1873–1952). However, initially only banknotes were produced for the new currency; the coins that saw use on the Maldives during the time period were old Maldivian larins and rupees imported from the nearby nation of Ceylon. However, in 1960, approximately thirteen years later, Muhammad Fareed Didi, the eldest son and successor of Abdul Majeed, called upon the Royal Mint in , , to produce the first series of coins for the rufiyaa, which includes pieces denominated at 1, 2, 5, 10, 25, and 50 laari. The 25 laari coin was minted with two edge varieties: one with reeds and a security groove and the other simply bearing reeds. Production of pieces with the security edge ceased in 1960, but those with the normal reeded edge were made for a second time in 1979, nearly eleven years after the abolition of the Maldivian monarchy in 1968. Both types are composed of a nickel-brass alloy, weigh about 4.1 grams, and measure 20.4 millimeters in diameter and 1.75 millimeters in thickness. Each has medallic alignment and is round in shape. Engraved in the center of the obverse is the – which consists of a ( ) and between two on thin poles, and above a bearing the " " ( : Ad-Dawlat Al-Mahaldheebiyya; : "State of the Mahal Dibayat""State of the Mahal Dibayat" is a name for the Maldives that was used by medieval Arab traders.) in style. Angled upward at the top left rim of the piece is the date in (i.e. "1960"), accompanied at the top right by the corresponding year in (i.e. " "; 1379). Inscribed at the bottom center of the reverse is the value "25 " (fansavees laari) in , with the numeral "25" (fansavees) and the word " " (laari) printed on separate lines and the former written significantly larger than the latter. On the coin, the number is shown in a font. Inscribed horizontally in small print above the numeral "25" (fansavees) in the value is the Maldivian text " " (Malé, Dhivehi Raajje). The " " (Dhivehi Raajje), roughly translating to English as "Land of the ", attributes the coin to the Maldives; the " " (Malé) refers to the capital city of , but the reason for its inclusion on the piece is uncertain. The Arabic equivalent of the Maldivian – " " (Maliyya Mahaldib)" " (Mahaldib) is a dated Arabic name for the Maldives. The island country is currently known in Arabic as " " (Maldiifz). – is printed in a counterclockwise direction along the upper periphery of the piece in a larger font. The rims of both the obverse and reverse are raised and decorated with a dentillated border. The total mintage of the first two 25 laari coins is currently unknown. A recorded 301,270 examples of the security edge piece were produced in 1960, including 300,000 business strikes and 1,270 proofs. An unknown number of reeded-edge business strikes was coined in 1960, but in 1979, a reported 100,000 examples were made, with a handful struck with a proof finish. Malé minaret coins (1984–2008) The popularity of the reestablishment of the Maldives as a republic ultimately resulted in the abolition of the Maldivian Sultanate and the establishment of the current Republic of the Maldives in 1968. Muhammad Fareed Didi was then deposed as leader and (1926–2008) was sworn in as the first of the Second Maldivian Republic, a position he held until 1978. The first 25 laari coin of the Republic was issued in 1979, under Nasir's successor, (1937–), in the style of the coin of the Sultanate (the first issue of the republic is detailed above). In 1984, however, the newly established (1981) Maldives Monetary Authority (MMA) authorized the introduction of a redesigned series of circulation coins consisting of denominations of 1, 5, 10, 25, and 50 laari, and 1 rufiyaa. Commissioned to strike the coins was the Royal Mint (moved to , Wales, in 1968), which incorporated designs submitted by Maldivian artists Maizan Hassan Manik and Ahmed Abbas onto the pieces. The 25 laari coin of the series was minted again in 1990 and 1996, and was replaced in 2008 by a coin of the same design and denomination, but of a different composition and mass. Earlier-dated examples are composed of nickel-brass and weigh approximately 4.15 grams, whereas 2008 coins are made of brass-plated steel and have a mass of roughly 3.75 grams. Due to being primarily made of steel, the later piece is magnetic. Coins from all dates measure 20.19 millimeters in diameter and 1.85 millimeters in thickness. They are round in shape and have medallic alignment and a reeded edge. Instead of the emblem of the Maldives, which appears on all earlier coins of the rufiyaa, the center of the obverse features a scene illustrating the of the in the foreground, with the and in the background. The mosque, erected in 1658 under Sultan (1630s–1687), is one of the most well-known structures on the Maldives, and its depiction on the 25 laari coin is reflective of the and . Slanted upward at the upper left rim of the piece is the Gregorian date of minting in Western Arabic numerals, and angled downward at the upper right is the corresponding date in the Islamic Hijri calendar, written in Eastern Arabic numbers. A decorative is engraved along the bottom portion of the coin's periphery, the "MMA" initials of the Maldives Monetary Authority inscribed in small print below. Displayed in a large -like font in the center of the reverse is the numeral "25" (fansavees), followed below by the Maldivian " " (laari) and then the Western "LAARI". Both of these words are printed on separate lines and are significantly smaller in size than the numeral that precedes them. "MALDIVES" is written clockwise along the top left rim of the piece, while the Maldivian equivalent – " " (Dhivehi Raajje) – is engraved in the opposing direction at the top right periphery. Both of the rims of the piece are raised. The total mintage of the third and fourth 25 laari coins is currently unknown. An undisclosed number of business strikes and around 2,500 proofs were made in 1984, and only business strikes were coined in 1990, 1996, and 2008. Notes References *Numismatic Guaranty Corporation website *Numista * *Maldives Monetary Authority – Currency in circulation, Coins Category:20th century coins Category:21st century coins Category:Brass Category:Coins of the Maldives Category:Coins with Arabic inscriptions Category:Coins with English inscriptions Category:Coins with Gregorian dates Category:Coins with Islamic dates Category:Coins with Maldivian inscriptions Category:Coins with medallic alignment Category:Dated coins Category:Maldivian rufiyaa Category:Nickel-brass Category:Round coins Category:Steel